Machine for storing and exchanging used wiping cloths for fresh wiping cloths



July 3, 1962 s. v. BOWLBY 3,042,172

MACHINE FOR STORING AND EXCHANGING USED WIFING CLOTHS FOR FRESH WIPINGCLOTHS Filed Oct. 28, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J INVENTOR.

Li /may Mam 50WA5V BY M2 m arrow/5r July 3, 1962 s. v. BOWLBY 3,042,172

MACHINE FOR STORING AND EXCHANGING USED WIPING CLOTHS FOR FRESH WIPINGGLOTHS Filed Oct. 28, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. SHE/way Ware/eflea/15y Arm/way United States Patent ()fiice 3,042,172 Patented July 3,1962 $042,172 MACHINE FOR sToinNo AND EXCHANGING i lggp gvlrme cLoTHsFOR FRESH WIPING Sherry Victor Bowlby, 815 Mun Nell St., Wichita, Kans.Filed Oct. 28, 1958, Ser. No. 770,040 2 Claims. (Cl. 194--4) Theinvention herein disclosed rel-ates to storing and dispensing machinesand is concerned particularly with the handling of commercial typeWiping cloths such as used in machine shops and manufacturingestablishments.

Objects of the invention are to provide safe, convenient storage forboth the fresh, unused cloths and the used or soiled cloths and to makedelivery of the fresh cloths contingent on return of the used cloths toa receptacle provided particularly for such cloths.

Accordingly the invention comprises, in a general way, cabinet structurefor holding both fresh and used wiping cloths in properly separatedrelation and mechanism which on deposit of a used Wiping cloth in themachine will operate to automatically effect delivery of a fresh wipingcloth ready for use.

Further special objects of the invention are to provide such a machinein a practical low cost construction suitable for the purposes intended.

The novel features of construction, combinations and relations of partsthrough which the purposes of the invention are accomplished are setforth in the following specification and are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

The drawings mentioned are illustrative of a present practicalembodiment of the invention but structure may be modified and changed asregards the immediate illustration, all within the true intent and scopeof the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

FIG. 1 in the drawings is a perspective view of one of the storing andexchanging machines.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the same onsubstantially the plane of line 22 of FIG. 1 showing parts in normalposition in full lines and broken lines indicating gripped positionresulting from deposit of used wiping cloth.

FIG. 3 is a broken sectional view of the upper portion of the machineshowing the carrier at the top of its movement with the gripper openedto drop the lifted cloth onto a delivery shelf.

FIG. 4 is a broken plan and part sectional view of the holder forkeeping the stack of fresh cloths in proper order.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the controller which is overbalanced bythe inserted soiled cloth to start a free running roller into action toclose circuits for a motor which drives the carrier and for a solenoidwhich closes the cloth gripper on the carrier.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are broken side and top plan views respectively of thecarrier with the gripper shown in the open position.

FIG. 3 is a broken detail view of a latch construction for holding thecarrier up in elevated position out of the way while a fresh stack ofcloths is being inserted in the machine.

In FIG. 1 the machine is shown as having a cabinet type of enclosure 7provided at the top with a conveniently accessible entrance 8 for soiledwiping cloths and below that, in the front, a delivery output 9 for thefresh cloths.

The soiled and fresh cloths are stored separately, the former in a binor receptacle portion 10, FIG. 2, at the back of the cabinet below theinlet 8 and the fresh cloths in a holder structure 11 at the front ofthe machine below the delivery outlet.

The two compartments are shown separated by an up- Wardly and forwardlyinclined dividing wall "12.

The holder 11 for the stack of fresh cloths indicated at 13 is shownsimilarly forwardly and upwardly inclined so 5 that a cloth lifted fromthe top of the stack may fall,

when dropped, FIG. 3, onto an inclined delivery shelf 14 in the outletopening 9.

The carrier for picking the cloths off the top of the stack and droppingthem on the delivery shelf is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 as comprising asmall carriage, bracket or frame 15 having projecting pins 16 at theback with roller bearings 23, riding in guide channels 17 and secured bya clamp 18 to a belt 19 running over upper and lower pulleys 20, 21,driven by motor 24.

This motor is shown as of the reduction gear, one-way drive clutch type,having incorporated in it at 25 reduction gearing and a clutch whichwill drive the belt 19 for the carrier only in the upward liftingdirection.

The gripper for picking up the top cloth is shown as made up of hingedlyconnected serrated jaws 26, 27, the

first rigidly secured to the carrier frame and the second pivotedthereto at 28, FIG. 5.

The movable jaw is shown connected by a pull link 29 with the core 30 ofa solenoid 31 mounted on the bracket, with a spring 32 encircling thelink for holding the jaw normally in the open position shown in FIG. 5.

The solenoid for closing the gripper and the motor for lifting thecarrier may be energized at the same time and hence be controlled fromthe same switch indicated at 33. This may be a small normally openmicroswitch such as illustrated in FIG. 5 having an operating lever 34by which the switch may be closed.

Operation of the control switch is effected in the illustration by afree turning grooved roller 35 confined in a parallel sided loop 36 withthe switch mounted on the lower run of this loop with the lever 34 inposition to be engaged and operated by the roller.

In FIG. 5 the roller confining switch supporting loop 36 is shownsuspended intermediate its ends at 37 on a rock shaft 38 so that saidroller may act :as a counterweight to hold said shaft balanced eitherhorizontally or downwardly inclined.

The rock shaft 38 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 as jour naled in the casingabove the carrier guides 17 and as having cloth supporting fingers orarms 39 projecting therefrom beneath the waste cloth inlet into positionover the receiving bin 10'.

The forward or downward tilting movement of the trip shaft 38 is shownin FIGS. 2 and 3 as limited by engagement of the cloth supportingfingers 39 with the top of the separating wall 12. In this position theroller will be at the forward or inner end of the guide loop 36 holdingthe motor and solenoid switch 33 in circuit closed position.

The upward tilting movement of the switch operator may be determined byengagement of the arms 39 with a stop 40.

In the normal position of parts the carrier 16 will be at the bottom asshown in FIG. 2 with the gripper open, resting on the top cloth of thesupply stack 13. At this time the control shaft 38 will be in thegenerally horizontal position shown in FIG. 2 with the fingers 39projecting into position for engagement by a. soiled cloth inserted inthe opening 8 in the top of the cabinet, held so by the roller 35 at theouter end of the loop 36, overbalancing the shaft in this position.

When a soiled cloth is dropped into the receiving opening 8 the operatorwill be tripped to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 2 causingroller 35 to roll forwardly and close switch 33 to energize both themotor and the gripper solenoid.

When this occurs the solenoid 31 will close the gripper on the wipingcloth on top of the supply stack 13 and the motor through the reductiongearing and clutch will start the carrier belt up the forwardly inclinedtracks 17 lifting the top cloth into position above the delivery tray14, FIG. 3.

As the carrier approaches the top position a bar 41 at the back of thecarrier frame will strike the then lowered operator fingers 39, liftingthem and thus rocking control shaft 38 back into the horizontal positionshown in FIG. 3. Roller 35 then rolls downward and outward to theposition shown in FIG. causing switch 33 to open the solenoid and motorcircuits enabling the gripper to release and drop the cloth onto thedelivery tray and permitting the motor to stop and the carrier, underthe release action of the one-way clutch, to drop down until the gripperagain rests on the top cloth of the supply stack, thus restoring partsready for the next delivery action.

The invention provides orderly storage of fresh unused wiping cloths andsafe storage for soiled or used cloths. Fresh cloths are kept quicklyavailable but only by returning of the used cloths, providing apractical system for keeping track of both used and fresh cloths andfacilitating collection, washing and reuse of cloths in a closed cycleof operations, eliminating waste, inducing neatness and promotingsafety, particularly as eliminating or reducing fire hazards.

The invention provides a practical system of exchanging used for fresharticles. The structure is simple and not likely to get out of order andthe only servicing usually required is to remove the collection ofsoiled cloths and to add fresh supply of the unused cloths. This may beaccomplished by provision of a door 42, FIG. 1, in the side of thecabinet, affording access to both the collection bin and the stackholder 11.

This door may be of the removable type having hooks 43 engageable overthe lower edge of the door opening and held in place at the top by a keyoperated tumbler lock 44. v The entrance for the soiled cloths may benormally kept closed by an upright door 45 hinged on top of the cabinetat 45 and counterbalanced in the upright closed position by an angleddoor extension 47 arranged to close the access opening 48 in the top ofthe cabinet when the trap door 45 is pulled open to admit the cloths.This lower extension, as shown in FIG. 2, forms an inclined guide todirect the entering cloths onto the control wires 39.

For accessibility the entire top of the cabinet may be made removable asby providing it with a boundary flange 49 fitting down over the upperedge of the cabinet Walls and having inwardly directed lugs 50 at oneside engaging in openings 51 in the cabinet and a dependent hook 52 atthe opposite side engageable by an upstanding hook 53 carried by handlever 54 pivoted on the wall of the casing at 55 to operate as anover-center toggle. This toggle lever 54 is located so as to be withineasy reach of an operator when the access door 42 is opened.Consequently, while normally closed and locked full access may be hadfor loading fresh cloths and removing soiled cloths or for unlocking thetop and permitting removal of the same by simply unlocking and removingthe side door 42.

To prevent the fresh cloths from getting out of order a follower may beprovided, shown in the form of a wire loop 56 positioned to rest lightlyon the top of the stack and guided in that relation by having out turnedterminals 57, FIG. 4, loosely engaged in the channels 17 which guide thecarriage. This follower or hold-down is easily removed or liftedwhenever a fresh stack is to be inserted in the machine.

For convenience in loading operations the carrier may be lifted by handand be temporarily supported in elevated position by a latch lever 58,FIG. 8, pivoted on the back of one of the upright channel guides 17,normally standing to one side of the carriage travel and adapted to beshifted into upright position after the same has been pushed up intoelevated position at the top of the stack guide.

Thus in servicing the machine, after removing the access door 42, anoperator may push the carrier up to the topof its movement and latch itin position there by turning up the lever 58 and then have both handsfree for removal of soiled cloths from the bin 10 and placement of afresh stack of cloths in the guide or holder 11.

Commercial wiping cloths are usually furnished in a folded condition, asillustrated in FIG. 2. To avoid the buildup of these folds accentuatingthe height of the stack at one side, the holder may have a supportingshelf 59 at the bottom terminating short of the full width of the clothsat one edge at 60, FIG. 2, allowing the cloths to droop somewhat at thatedge. This less than full width support of the stack and the hold-down56 serve to keep the cloths in a substantially fiat condition at the topenabling the gripper to unfailingly pick up the top cloth.

Proper gripping of the top cloth also is assured by the dropping of thegripper from the top of its stroke down onto the top of the stack in theopened condition shown in FIG. 3. By such dropping action the toothedjaws are given an initial hold on the material so that in closing theywill fully engage and hold the cloth.

Details of the geared motor with one-way drive clutch are notillustrated since this may be one of several designs now on the marketwhich when energized will drive the pulley at reduced speed in onedirection, to raise the carrier and when tie-energized will release andpermit the pulley to rotate in the opposite direction, to drop thecarrier onto the top of the stack.

In the machine illustrated the delivery shelf extends inwardly over thetop of the stack but the upward and outward incline of the guide tracksand stack holder enables the gripper to clear the inner edge of theshelf on both upward and downward travel and in its upward movement tolift the cloth up past the inner edge of the shelf and then afterreaching a position directly over the shelf to drop the cloth onto theshelf as in dicated in FIG. 3.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the character disclosed the combination of -a carrierfor discharging a fresh cloth from the top of a stack of fresh wipingcloths, means for operating said carrier, a controller for said meansand a used cloth displaceable barrier comprising a rock shaft having alever arm engageable by an inserted used cloth, a trackway carried 'bysaid rock shaft extending transversely to opposite sides of said shaft,a roller operating in said trackway for overbalancing said rock shaft inreverse directions and said controller including a switch mounted onsaid trackway and positioned for operation by said roller.

2. A machine for dispensing wiping cloths comprising a holder for astack of cloths, a gripper having companion normally open relativelymovable jaws for gripping engagement with the topmost cloth of saidstack, a carriage on which said gripper is mounted, upright guidesconfining said carriage to upward and downward movement in respect tothe stack of cloths in said holder, a motor, mechanical connections fromsaid motor to said carriage for elevating and then lowering saidcarriage to drop said gripper onto the wiping cloth on top of the stack,a solenoid on said carriage connected to effect closing and opening ofsaid gripper jaws, switch means for energizing said motor and solenoid,an operator for said switch mechanism anranged for actuation byengagement of a soiled oloth therewith and disposed to thereupon operatesaid switch mechanism to energize said solenoid to effect closing of thegripper on the topmost cloth and energization of the motor to effect theelevating of the gripper carriage and a member on said 5 grippercarriage positioned to engage said operator and thereby cause the sameto actuate the switch mechanism to stop the lifting movement and efiectthe lowering of the carriage and deenergization of the solenoid andwhereby said gripper will be dropped on top of the stack of cloths withthe gripper jaws in opened relation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS494,050 Andersson Mar. 21, 1893 10 McCall June 11, 1912 Hawley Jan. 22,1935 =Reichardt Sept. 30, 1949 Evans Jan. 16, 1951 Dosberg Oct. 23, 1951Dosberg Sept. 29, 1953 Givliano May 19, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS GermanyFeb. 5, 1936 Great Britain Mar. 15, 1950

